Son / Daughter in law inheriting the estate.

I think the problem is people have little sympathy if somebody is widowed before their parents pass away.
I think there is always suspicion the person has killed his wife even if it is found to be something like cancer.

Frank

Surely not!

Frank have you been on the wacky baccy ?

soop

I have not been on any baccy.

When my wife passed away several people said it was a peculiar marriage anyway.
Some said nobody would want to marry the daughter of their headmistress and I probably did it knowing I would be well looked after financially.

When my father passed away I just got bombarded by people saying his ex should inherit his estate.

Really the only sympathy I got was from my side of the family.

We cared for and helped my in laws after my wife passed away but her side of the family wanted the money at the end.

They had not really had any contact with them for years.

Frank

Don't 'alf love you, Frank

AAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHH!

This is not France, though you would evidently prefer their inheritance laws, Frank. Here you can leave your property to anyone (or any charity) you like.

Groundhog Day me thinks !!

annodomini

I can not understand how French laws would come in to the way my parents or my in laws left their estates.
My mother left her half of the house to me and I was put on the land certificate.
My father willed his half of the house to me and I became the total owner later later.

My in laws left their estate in trust to my daughters and the money was to be released to them when they attained the age of 18.

I know my father had to sign a form giving his consent to me being a co owner as it did state on the land certificate no charge to be given over the property or transfer without the consent of both owners.
I am not sure what would have happened if he had refused to sign this form.
On the converse if my father had willed his half of the property to his ex I would have not signed a similar form and I am unsure how things would have stood legally.
My in laws basically left their estate to my granddaughters and I understand this would have happened if there had been no will.
I am unsure what would have happened in France if a similar situation arose.

Frank

see whats started now ? going through the Forsyth Saga again would be quicker.

Frank, French inheritance law follows a strict formula -you cannot disinherit your children, even if you haven't seen them for forty years.
This has caused a lot of problems for expats on second marriages where they both have children from previous relationships.

It also accounts for all those funny little bits of land that are really too small for growing anything. Larger pieces of land were split up between siblings and then split up between siblings etc.

Greatnan

English inheritance law is not ideal.
At least people know where they are more under French law in most cases.
If a parent gets married for a second time in France records would have to be kept of what assets were bought in to the marriage and possibly of spending so it can be decided what portion of the estate goes to the wife's children and what goes to the husbands.

The upside is however it may deter people from marrying for money.

As I have said before there could have been complications if my father had willed his half of the house to his ex.
I don't know if the will would have taken priority over the fact that it says on the land certificate no transfer without the consent of both owners or vice versa.

I would not have agreed to the transfer.

Logically the bits of land in France should be sold and the proceeds divided.

Frank

I thought of Gerry last night in the pub when I was overhearing a conversation about a son in law inheriting the estate and how wrong it was supposed to be as they had been left out of the will.
I presume they were some sort of relative.
It could have not been Gerry as it was a woman talking.

Frank

Ah, we assume Gerry is male but how do we know?

mollie

You may be correct.
However every Gerry I have met personally has been male but I am only 1 person.

Frank

How come I NEVER overhear conversations of this ilk when I am in a pub?? Last week was quite sureal though, we were in a public bar in a nearby village and one (apparently) old codger said to t'other, "I think I'll have a green tea I suppose you want a coffee. Have you ever tried lemongrass tea?" DH and I just looked at each other - this is not your averagel North Bucks public bar type conversation or at least not as we would have imagined it!

gracesmum

Like me you have got to remember you are just one person.
My late wife's name was Kim and we had at least 6 in the building I worked in in London.
When I came to Birmingham somebody said she had never come in contact with a Kim.
You may think it is strange but there were 3 Julie's in the office I worked in in Birmingham.
I know it is a reasonably common name but I can not remember having any contact with one till then and I was in my 50's.

Frank

If the will states the sil gets everything that's it.

You can leave your money to whoever you like, to the cats home if that's your wish.

Clearly the mother preferred the sil to the relatives.

jeanie99

I can only agree with what you are saying.
Just because your son / daughter dies it does not mean the end of your relationship with your son / daughter in law.
In my in laws case they just remained as part of our family.
The initial will left their estate to my wife and if she was not alive the estate was left to me.
This was changed later so it went to my daughters and me if they were no longer alive.
They did not want to leave their estate to people who they had not seen for years.

Frank